Improvement in fastenings for corsets



@Hmm C@ mwa/mm QL-sesguitexl was@ '2M wie MPETER H. NILEs AND FRANK W. M'Ansron, or BosroN, MASSA CHUsnTTs.

Letters .Patent No. 84,899, (latedA December l5, 1868; antedatecl December 2, 1868.

. IIVIPROVEMENT IN FASTENING-S FOR CORSETS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

ABe it known that we, PETER H; NILEs and FRANK W. MARSTON, both of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, h ave invented an Improved Gorset-Glasp; and wedo hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specilication, isa description of our invention sulcient to enable those skilled in the art to practise it.

Our invention relates to the construction of lcorset-I clasps, with particular reference to a provision'for un- Y fastening the corset-springs, the invention consisting in so making-the-eye of each clasp, that it may be thrown out of engagement with the pin to which itfastens, by end movement of one spring relatively to the other.

In the common and well-known construction, each eye or clasp-piece has a large eye near the edge of the spring to -which it is attached; this eye being of diameter suhicientto allor the head ofthe pin on theV yopposite spiing to slip freely into and from it, and having aharrow slot running outwardly from it, the width of which allows the shank of the pin to slip into it,` Y while it is too narrow to permit the head to slip through it. The strain upon the springs, when the corset is worn, draws the' pins into these slots, and thereby fastens the corset, while to fasten or unfasten it, the springs have vto be drawn together, to bring the pins opposite to the eyes. (This construction is illustrated in the drawing at x.)

Now, as corsets are generally' worn about as tight as a waist will allow, itis detrimental to the comfort of the wearer to bring the springs 'any nearer together, and it is difficult, with the common construction, to unfasten more than one pin at a time, and the object'of our invention has been'to overcome these diiculties, by so making the clasps as to slip the pins from their eyes or slots, by moving either spring endwise, in suchv planner as to simultaneously disengage all the pins', without cau-ying the pins into the eyes of the clasps.

A and B, in the drawings, represent a pair of corsets springs embodying our invention..

the upper pin at A, where the head of the pin is broken ,Y

oi" to showthe shank, and by the dotted lines, on the other two pins,) and a head, f, and each clasp-piece d has an eye, g, 'suiiiciently large to readily receive the heads, and a slot, h, opening out of such eye, the shank of the pin resting in this slot when the corset is worn.

Each slot hropens attop into alateral slot, t, which opens through the clasp, as shown at A and B, the end part of the slot h extending a little further back than this opening t', and inclining up into said opening, as seen at B.

When the springsare strained apart, the stress upon the pins and clasp-pieces holds the Shanks of the pins in the extreme ends of the slots, and prevents unfastening of the corset, but by-- drawing the spring c down, or the spring d up, the several pins slip over the incline, or from the slots h into and out from the slots or openings t, thus unfastening the corset at one operation, or- 'without separately disengaging each pin from its slot.

In fastening thecorset, the pins are preferably slipped into the eyes g, though they may be entered into the slots 7L through the openings 5i.

It will be obvious that the specific construction shown may bc varied without departure from the essence of our invention, which consists in so constructing the springs and clasps, that they may be disconnected by relative endwise movement of either or both of the springs.

We claim a corset-spring, made with clasps or fastening-plates, each of which has avertical slotopening from a lateral slot and out from the plate, substantially as' and for the purpose set forth.

' P. H. NILES.

FRANK W. MARSTON. Witnesses:

M; ]E [v Duncan, Tnnononn H. TYNDALE, 

